James Ransone, an American actor best known for his roles in "The Wire," "CSI," and "It Chapter Two," has died at the age of 46. He was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Friday, December 19. Authorities are investigating his death as an apparent suicide.
According to preliminary findings from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, Ransone’s cause of death was hanging. His body was discovered in a shed on his property after police responded to an emergency call. Officials have said there are no signs of external violence or evidence of third-party involvement.
Ransone was married to Jamie McPhee and was the father of two children. He began his acting career in the early 2000s and gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka in HBO’s critically acclaimed drama "The Wire," a role that remains one of his most celebrated performances and one of the channel's most beloved TV shows.
Over the course of his career, Ransone appeared in a wide range of television series, including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Hawaii Five-0," "Generation Kill," "Treme," and "Bosch." His film credits include "Prom Night" (2008), "Sinister" (2012), "Sinister 2" (2015), "Tangerine" (2015), "It Chapter Two (2019)," "The Black Phone" (2021), and "The Black Phone 2," which came out earlier this year. His final television appearance aired in June, on the second season of the series "Poker Face."
News of the actor’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the entertainment industry. HBO shared a photo of Ransone in "The Wire" on X, writing, “In memory of James Ransone.” Blumhouse Productions, which worked with him on multiple projects, also paid tribute, saying they were “deeply saddened” by his passing.
Ransone struggled with addiction for years
In recent years, Ransone had spoken openly about his struggles with trauma, addiction, and mental health. Following his death, his wife, Jamie McPhee, shared a fundraiser in support of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an organization focused on mental health awareness, care, and prevention. She also shared a tribute, thanking Ransone for their children and their lives together.
"I told you I have loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again," she wrote. "You told me — I need to be more like you and you need to be more like me — and you were so right."
A GoFundMe page was created to help Jamie and their kids as they face this challenging moment. As of this writing, the page has raised over $67,000.
In 2021, Ransone alleged that he had been sexually abused as a child by a former tutor. In a candid Instagram post, he said the abuse occurred in 1992 and left him with “a lifetime of shame and humiliation,” later linking the trauma to years of alcoholism, heroin use, and emotional difficulties. Ransone reported the allegations to Baltimore County police in 2020, though authorities declined to file charges following their investigation.